Initially, silicon-integrated devices were packaged in sealed metallic packages. Currently, plastic molding compounds, the low cost option for reliable, high quality devices, has replaced the metallic packages and accounts for about 90 percent of the 30 billion devices packaged throughout the world each year. The concept of encapsulating one or more silicon devices within a plastic package has materially contributed to reducing the cost of the packaged device. A result of encapsulating silicon devices in plastic is the use of silicon devices in a wide array of products with minimum environmental restrictions.
An important factor in the design of integrated circuits encapsulated within a plastic is the power rating of the device. Clearly, as the density of silicon devices within the plastic package increases, the issue of evacuating the heat generated becomes more severe.
Typically, if the power rating of the silicon devices exceeds one watt, plastic encapsulation is usually abandoned in favor of either ceramic or metal packages which can dissipate more thermal energy. A major disadvantage of ceramic and metal packages is that they are more expensive than plastic packages.
The present invention is directed toward solving the poor thermal dissipation properties associated with silicon devices encapsulated within a plastic.